Back in your student days — can you remember back that far? — did you excel in math or writing and reading classes?
Were you the star of your geometry class, or did sit in the front row of senior English and be the first to raise your hand when discussing a poem to explain the corn dog reference in the second verse represented the author’s unfulfilled sexual fantasies?
Did you dream of growing up to be a famous physicist or a best-selling novelist?
Okay, we realize that few of us thought such thoughts or had such dreams. So, enough wasted time! Go ahead now and respond to the question. And please leave a comment.
Finally, if you have read this far and there is no poll below to respond to, please stand by. These darn polls can be real slowpokes!
What about football? I sat at the end of the bench. I guarded the water bottles and I chased the cheerleaders.
Neither in public school years. High School – Wood shop and Metal shop and drafting. College – picked up on reading and writing. Army – technical reading and writing. Second round in college – learned it was worthless. (Vietnam split my college) First job – learned math skills. Second career job – writing. It just took me a while and then I learned what I needed at the time.
You forgot science. I did great n science. Math is not my forte. I can correct others writing but can’t spell, thank you for spellcheck
you didn’t list science, tut, tut, this is a real area where women shied away until STEM was and still is pushed in grade and high schools.
I goofed off in high school and barely passed. When I went back to school several years later, I graduated with a 3.87gpa. Why? Because I was focused on a goal. I have used that as an illustration how high school grades are not an accurate reading of intelligence or ability and I suspect raging hormones play a role in this as well.
As fas as Math goes, when it comes to numbers, there are 3 kinds of people. Those who can count and those who cant.
The poll is skewed going in. Before I answered, I predicted Math would win out. Math people like numbers, a poll is all about numbers (Percentages). Reading/Writing people arent going to be that interested in numbers. Thats my theory and I sticking with it. 🙂
Our high school was not particularly challenging, but my two best teachers were in each of these. The math teacher was good and uncompromising. So too was the English teacher. Each made me want to do well to please them. Consequently, I learned much from each. They remain my two best memories of high school even though nearly fifty years ago.
I love crossword puzzles, and anything to do with reading and writing. My accountant wife loves sudoku and anything with numbers. Apparently, opposites attract!
Honestly I cant add 3 figures without paper and pencil.
I always tell people math is not my strong suit.
That’s why God created calculators!
In HS and up until I quit studying to be an electrical engineer I enjoyed the math getting as far as Partial Differential Equations. Later as a history major I became a bibliophile and took a tech writing course which served me well in my museum career writing exhibit labels which need to be short and to the point.
Math? Never did determine the trick to good grades. Won many grammar and writing contests with A grades. B student in English.
No matter who tried to explain algebra to me, my brain would not grasp it. So I always got D’s in high school algebra. But I excelled in geometry, go figure!
My brain did not instinctively “get” algebra, where it did get English. And my algebra teacher geared the class toward those at the top.
I did well in all the subjects except psychology. I took some of the most challenging math classes that were offered at the university just for fun. Fifty-five years and six college degrees later, I still have yet to use any of the math.
I explain to my students that math is the most powerful force on the planet.
Elementary school I was a math whiz straight A’s, got into high school algebra straight F’s. I was converting equations into math problems and the teacher didn’t want that. Got transferred back into general math went back to straight A’s and got credit for the entire year. 13 years later at the start of my apprenticeship I had a night school teacher explain that algebra is a language of math, not a form of math. Here I am at 78 years young, worked 33 years as a skilled tradesmen, and not once did I ever use algebra, unless the engineers I worked with went into a closet to do algebra as far as I know nobody uses it except teachers. Lol
Just around the house, I use simple equations and ratios a few times a year.
x= 2y -3
I was that strange kid that wasn’t intimidated by math. It’s always made sense to me. Even as an adult, I could look at some numbers and get an answer in my head while other people are stumbling through the problem with paper and pencil. Also, as an adult I started reading more and more and now I can be content just reading books sitting in a campground.
Math is logical, Shakespeare is not.
Shakespeare thoroughly understood logic:
“Every madness has its logic”
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
Words without thoughts never to Heaven go”.
“There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
And Einstein understood that logic isn’t everything:
“Math will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere”.
“Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end” – Leonard Nimoy
I was better in math but not until college.